Pictured above: Musician, Chuck D attends the inaugural Sankofa.org Social Justice Awards at Chaplin Studios on March 1, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (All photos by Todd Westphal / Sankofa.org)
Honoring activist changemakers at the intersection of art and culture, Sankofa.org held its inaugural Social Justice Awards at the historic Chaplin Studios on what would have been founder Harry Belafonte’s 99th birthday.
With a mission to “educate, motivate, and activate,” Belafonte founded the organization in 2012 alongside daughter Gina Belafonte and Raoul Roach in New York. Sankofa focusses on uplifting disenfranchised and marginalized communities while advancing social justice through advocacy, storytelling, and coalition-building with grassroots activists.
Filmmaker Maria Belafonte—Belafonte’s granddaughter and Creative Director of Sankofa—reflected on the family legacy:
“I think the older I get, and the more I see the work and legacy that our family has carried on, it’s so inspiring. I’ve been around this my entire life, so just knowing, seeing, and ingesting the true impact has been life-changing. I feel very grateful to be able to carry on the legacy. It’s just so special.”
Honorees included actor and activist Danny Glover, who received the Humanitarian Award (created by Sophia Victor) for a lifetime of activism and storytelling, spanning human rights, labor equality, and social justice, as well as his role as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.
Singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc received the Passing the Baton Award, presented by actor-activist Jesse Williams, in recognition of his advocacy around inequality and human rights,
“Working with Gina and Sankofa has been an extreme pleasure,” Blacc shared. “To have been with Sankofa during the years that Mr. B was stewarding and then see it handed to Gina, being part of transformation, it really is the work I want to do as an artist: to create positive social transformation. I feel it is my responsibility, and [that of] all of my peers, to use our music and art for change, and to continue to speak truth the power”
Contemporary artist Shepard Fairey—widely recognized for the iconic Barack Obama “Hope” poster—received the Visual Justice Award (created by Hank Willis Thomas) for his political and cultural impact through art.
“I’m so honored to have several of my heroes recognized alongside me tonight,” said Fairey. “[Sankofa and these honorees are] about revolutionary ideas but incremental change. Through art that helps define culture, they bring about change in a way that is slow but steady—and that’s incredibly important.”
Labor leader and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2012), was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award (created by Douglas Miles). Huertas co-founded the United Farm Workers in 1962 with César Chavez and Gilbert Padilla.
“The work that we do covers a lot of ground,” Huerta shared. “We go into communities, bring people together, and help them look at their situations and see what they need to solve in their community. […] The beautiful thing is people don’t have to have a high school or college education [to do this work] – they just have to have the will. Amazing leadership comes out of these communities. It works. It just takes time and commitment.”
Hip-hop pioneer Chuck D—a founding member of Public Enemy and one of the most influential voices in Hip-hop—received the Cultural Revolutionary Award (created by Shepard Fairey) for his decades-long commitment truth-telling and advancing social and economic justice.
Additional guests included producer-activist Maria Cumo Cole, actor-producer-director Michael Chiklis, Mexican-Australian Hip-hop artist and activist Maya Jupiter, poet and prison-reform activist Bryonn Bain, actor-director Tim Robbins, and entrepreneur and economic strategist Mark Skidmore.
With a film presentation highlighting Sankofa’s work, and contributions from activist poet Monique Mitchell and Grammy recipient Iman Jordan (who won the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change in 2025), journalist Dominique DiPrima also hosted a conversation with Chuck D, who shared insights from his new book, In the Hour of Chaos.
Guests experienced the event through wireless headphones designed to encourage focused listening and deeper connection throughout the program.
“Any time Gina Belafonte calls me—I do what I can,” says Chuck D. “This comes from the lineage of her dad saying, ‘I need you Chuck, be here.’ I’m there.”
The evening also featured a virtual-reality reentry program display developed through Sankofa’s partnership with the Made New Foundation. The initiative works to support formerly incarcerated individuals as they reintegrate into society, reduce recidivism while providing pathways to stability and opportunity.
“This evening is a bit of a milestone for us,” says Gina Belafonte. “It’s a bit of a coming-out party, and also happens to be the 99th birthday of my father, who passed away three years ago. It’s a night of calling in the ancestors and honoring their legacy here at the iconic Chaplin Studio—just 100 feet from where “We Are The World” was recorded. It’s a blessing to share this space with everyone who helped create this night.”
Music for the evening was curated by Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, with performances from the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center Choir and Aloe Blacc. The night closed with Blacc performing “Not On My Watch”—joined by Gina Belafonte and the (with Gina Belafonte and the Fernando Pullum Children’s Choir—and closing the evening with “Wake Me Up.“
Reflecting on his connection to the organization, Muhammed shared:
“I first learned about Sankofa during a Michael Brown protest. The civil rights work of Harry Belafonte paved the way for so many–-myself included–-as a citizen and artist. […] Seeing Dolores Huertas and the work she has done […] to still be here at a time when America is going through – I can’t define it poetically […] to be standing here with greatness like that, and seeing that she is still pushing – that says to me there is no excuse for not rolling up your sleeves. Sankofa is doing the work, and I’m happy to be here to help.”
Proceeds from the evening will go directly to support Sankofa’s ongoing efforts to advance restorative justice initiatives, combat systemic violence, advocate for meaningful immigration reform, and to promote livable minimum wages.
Contact: Kelly MacGaunn @ Kellee Mac PR / [email protected]
Experience Sankofa at: sankofa.org
Photo Credit: Todd Westphal / Sankofa.org
The post Sankofa.org, Unity Community and the Social Justice Awards first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.
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By: Andrea Beenham
Title: Sankofa.org, Unity Community and the Social Justice Awards
Sourced From: www.musicconnection.com/sankofa-unity-community-and-the-social-justice-awards/
Published Date: Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:32:59 +0000
